Chapter 8
Reprieve of Truce
Shirou sighed as Sakura wrapped bandages around his wounds. The many wounds given to him by Archer showcase his struggle. A very much uphill struggle.
"Did Rin tell you to do this?" he asked the red-themed servant. Despite the "training" given to him by Archer, he could not understand why exactly the servant was doing this.
Archer, who was waiting with an openly judging gaze, replied with a hint of annoyance. "No, all she knows is that I am scouting out the area. That and she is getting some rest."
Seeing the clear annoyance in his voice, Shirou deigned to not press the issue despite the obvious fact that Rin could just see through the servant's eyes at any time. "Why are you training me?" he asked outright, seeing as his roundabout approach was not working.
"Have you made any progress on your magecraft?" Archer inquired, responding to Shirou's question with a question of his own.
Yet, the question seemed to click in Shirou's mind. "You don't summon your noble phantasms?" he asked, a bit astonished.
The servant raised an eyebrow at the inquiry. "I do not. I use magecraft," he replied.
"So you make them? You use projection and gradation air magecraft... To make them?"
Archer did not respond to the revelation, instead of deigning to showcase it. He extended his right hand, his sleeve was pulled back to showcase his bare forearm. It lit up with blue energy as his magic circuits hummed to life.
Shirou watched, his eyes no longer taking it in as a spectacle but now as a process.
A process to be learned.
"Your projections are brittle and incomplete," Archer intoned, his steely eyes staring directly into Shirou's bronze soul. "Despite your knowledge of the object, despite your constant use of reinforcement to learn it... You cannot seem to get it right."
There was no doubt in the servant's words despite having only seen Shirou's projection and gradation air combination in person just now. It was as if he knew everything about Shirou Emiya, in both soul and body.
"This is because you are not suited to making objects. You are suited for one and one thing only..."
Shirou's breath hitched for a moment as the word escaped his lip, "Swords..."
Finally, a small smile formed on Archer's face. "Even an idiot like you understands," he nodded in approval. He gripped the hilt of Kanshou firmly as he brought his other arm up.
In contrast to the somewhat slow process demonstrated by him in making Kanshou, Bakuya formed in his hand faster than Shirou could blink.
In response, Shirou summoned his brittle pair of married blades whilst gently pushing Sakura aside. Thus with only leading with one hand.
The hand that held his brittle version of Bakuya, or Mò Yé, was leading while the one that held Kanshou, Gān Jiàng, held back in an instinctive move to defend Sakura.
Then Archer disappeared in a showcase of his inhuman speed.
Trailing his arms behind him slightly, Archer charged headfirst towards Shirou, crossing the distance in a mere blink. He swung Kanshou at Shirou's face.
Only for Shirou to hastily and poorly block it with Bakuya. Though it was just enough for it to harmlessly slide off.
An accidental deflect.
Archer continued with his assault, using the momentum of his failed attack to spin and land a solid kick to Shirou's side.
Yet, his kick did not meet fabric or flesh. Instead, it hit steel.
Shirou's Kanshou dissipated in motes of light, its brittle form unable to handle the force from Archer's kick. Yet, despite his block, he was sent flying into the wall once more.
Only that this time, he landed well.
Positioning himself so that his feet would collide into the wall, his legs bent like a spring as he let his legs take in the force.
I see... I see him, he thought to himself, his eyes widening in realization.
"So your ideals... Are still close to mine?" Archer asked, his eyes narrowing. I thought he had already abandoned the path... Yet, why does our spirit origin still synchronize?
His once somewhat hopeful mood turned to a cold dread as he too came to a realization.
The hero of justice was truly not dead.
Yet, that dread quickly came to resolve as he thought of something. If he could synchronize with me now but his ideals change later...
Shirou landed on the floor on his toes, gravity having finally done its work. His eyes focused as knowledge flowed through him.
Knowledge of a hero of justice.
It was a blurry and fragmented mess but it was slowly coming to him.
Yet...
"Despite the knowledge you gleaned," Archer intoned as a frown formed on his face. "You cannot use it."
Shirou bit his teeth a bit harder as his magic circuits started to act up once more. The lines of mana that flowed through his nerves now demonstrate its poisonous effects. "Yeah, I know," he replied as he forced his circuits to work and summoned a new Kanshou.
Yet, despite Shirou's insistence to fight, Archer merely dissipated his blades and cross his arms.
Somewhat off-put by this Shirou nevertheless readied-
The doors of the dojo suddenly slide open with a bang, drawing the attention and shock of every human in the dojo.
"Why did you drug me, Archer?!" Rin shouted, announcing her presence to everyone.
Illyasviel blinked a bit, her mind somewhat in a daze. It was strange, quite honestly, she did not feel like someone was possessing her and she felt like her words were genuinely from her.
Yet, those words were certainly not hers.
Zouken had left, seemingly embarrassed and flustered by her words to be here any longer. In her heart, somehow she felt disappointed rather than amused at the seemingly pitiful escape.
"For an old fossil, he is really quick to embarrassment like a child," Illyasviel mused, the irony of her statement not lost to her.
"It is a shame that the Matou had left early and Tohsaka has chosen to be fashionably late in appearance," a new voice announced themselves. The mall echoed the new arrival's footsteps, the clicking of well-made shoes contrasting the squeaky noise of his companion.
"Ah the priest finally shows up," Illyasviel replied with a smile. "Say where did that crippled king go?"
Kotomine Kirei sent a glance behind him, gesturing with his eyes at the blonde boy that accompanied him. "He is-"
"Jeez, Kirei! Why don't you try theatrics more!" the obvious voice a child whined with annoyance. A golden mop of hair popped out from behind the priest, his piercing crimson eyes meeting Illyasviel's ruby. "And for your little information, big sis, I am not crippled!"
Illyasviel could only utter a single surprised "eh" at the appearance of the boy. Soon, her surprise turned into shock and then into utter disbelief. "Eh?!"
"Man my elder self would kill to see such a funny expression on you!"
"Say, has your morning weariness worn off yet?" Archer inquired from Rin as he served her tea.
"Shut up, actually Satan" she growled, seemingly fed up with her servant's teasings and actions.
"As you wish, summoner of Satan," the servant coyishly shot back with a small smirk. "Want sugar or black?"
"Black," Rin chuffed as she redirected her gaze from her tea to the two before her. Her eyes were not of judgment or scrutiny but that of cold indifference.
They sat in the abandoned cafe, the smell of tea slowly overtaking the lingering smell of coffee. The dying sun peaked through the windows, showcasing its final luster of the day, proving to all that time was still relevant.
There was no tension, no clashing of wills, but simply a nervous silence. An atmosphere that Rin purposely stewed.
The sound of a teapot being set down followed up with insistent humming broke that silence as Archer seemingly ignored the mood Rin was trying to develop.
The Tohsaka sighed, giving up on her somewhat sadistically-motivated attempt to stew a depressed mood.
"It has been a little while since I have seen both of you. How have you all been?" she asked, her tone contrasting her previous tone just moments earlier.
"Well?" Shirou replied, his words sounding more like a question than an answer.
"Hmph. That is good," Rin nodded before turning to Sakura. "How about you, Sakura? Have you... Have you been well?" Her words, despite being firm and clear had the apprehensive, almost guilty undertone in them.
"I have..." Sakura awkwardly replied, her left hand rubbing her elbow with nervousness.
"You are all awkward," Archer commented as he set down a tray of biscuits on the table. "Maybe start by getting down to business, hm?"
"Shut up, Archer," Rin groaned, utilizing his actual title for once out of exasperation. "I don't think you are one to talk with your constant assholery."
"Hey, at least my assholery creates a conversation," Archer coyishly fired back. "And besides, aren't we keeping a young lady waiting?"
"What?"
A translucent bird fluttered in the room, its otherworldly presence immediately drawing in the attention of everyone present. It maneuvered itself around, circling them before landing on the table.
"What does she want now?!" Rin screamed her irritation now at a boiling point. "And you!" She pointed at Archer, "Not another word!"
Illyasviel massaged her temples as she tried to wrap her head around what was being explained to her. Her previous opinion of a certain bastard is now being eroded from being an absolute pain in the ass to someone she could get along with.
Gone was the arrogance behind every gaze, strut, or word. The unbearable presence of a tyrant that looked down on everyone and stomped on everyone he wanted was gone.
Now, what was left was a cheerful blonde-haired child whose enthusiasm eroded her exciting persona. Well, perhaps after she copes with the sudden and drastic change, she could get along well with Gilgamesh.
"Big sis, are you okay?" the child Gilgamesh asked, his crimson eyes now brimming with innocence and pureness.
Oh, there was also the fact he was calling her "big sis".
"Guh..." Illyasviel grunted, her heart seemingly failing from the honeyed words struck against her. "Stop..."
"Oh no! Is your poor heart hearting, big sis?!"
Leysritt suddenly cut in as she seemingly fumbled something from her bag. "Here's the stimulant, Illya," she monotonously said as she pulled a needle.
"I am good, Leysritt," Illyasviel deadpanned. She then released a sigh, her exasperation reaching its limit. "So, you're Gilgamesh? Like in that blonde, ugly-eyed, asshole of a bastard?"
"Your words hurt me, big sis! Oh, how your barbed words wound this earnest soul!" Kid Gilgamesh dramatically said, his movements moving in melodramatic gestures.
"I don't recall Gilgamesh being such a patron of the art of poetry," Illyasviel remarked.
Kirei idly watched and listened to the banter, noting that the conversation was now devolving into childish insults and a subsequent childish sizing up of each other. Both seemed to completely understand this and yet both played into it. As if they were finding satisfaction and amusement in their childish antics.
Which he didn't doubt that they were.
"As much as this amuses you two, may we perhaps be seated?" he asked, speaking his mind on what he deemed adequate gestures.
At the request, Illyasviel rubbed her chin in thought. "Hm... Sure, I guess I can adequately accommodate you," she seemingly relented. "Want to watch a movie too? The new spiderman movie is being showcased there!"
"Sure! Is there popcorn?" Gilgamesh asked.
"Buttered, sweetened, or caramel, or plain?" Illyasviel, the ever-thoughtful host, inquired.
"Sweetened!" kid Gilgamesh exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Plain," Kirei replied in a monotone voice.
"..." Berserker's silently rumbled, seemingly relieved by the dissipating of tension.
"Did you want some, Berserker?" Illyasviel asked, turning to her ever-powerful servant.
"..."
"You want butter? Okay! Leysritt mind getting them?"
"Okay," her emotionless homunculus maid affirmed as she made her way to the storage of the mall.
"Oh, Sella," Illyasviel said, turning to her more astute maid, "mind seeing in our final guests?"
"As you wish, Lady Illyasviel."
"Get ready," Rin said as they hid behind a bush, looking at the mall. "Archer, how many tangos?"
"There is one at the entrance, two in the air, and two patrolling the area," Archer informed. "Permission to engage?"
Permission granted.
"Engaging."
Shirou and Sakura looked at Rin with a deadpan. "Rin, don't you think that she doesn't need to set up traps?" he asked, his mind wandering to the overwhelming Berserker.
"That little devil is not a total musclehead," Rin reminded as the translucent familiars fell from the skies, dissipating into white motes of light. "She is an Einzbern homunculus, renowned in the magus world for their quality and efficiency."
Shirou's memories conveniently reminded him of the question she directed at him on that snowy day at the park. "I guess..." he relented, though he remained hesitant.
"Tango down, area clear."
Rin nodded to herself, having been the only one who could communicate with Archer. "Let's move! Remember to maintain your positions." With that said, she did a small, tactical forward roll and made her way to the mall.
"Rin, I am pretty sure they know we are here," Shirou deadpanned as he helped up Sakura.
"She was always for the dramatic..." Sakura murmured.
"Gods! You need to lighten up, Kirei! Be more dramatic!" Gilgamesh declared as he held his large bowl of sweetened popcorn in hand.
"Yeah! Being grumpy all the time will make you into an old man!" Illyasviel merrily added as she held her bowl of popcorn but caramelized. "And an old man can't eat popcorn properly!"
Kirei seemed uninterested in their childish jabs and instead maintained his silent, unflinching expression firmly on his face. This was despite the popcorn and soda he held of which he fully intended to indulge himself in.
"Mu! You're so boring!" Illyasviel whined as they entered the theater. "Eventually I bet your whole body is going to turn into bugs or something if you keep being this dull."
"With a severe case of balding and wrinkles as well," Gilgamesh added.
Yet, Kirei still stalwartly remained silent as they made their way to the chosen seats. His indifference though now slowly morphing into strange pleasure at their whining.
Though only slightly as he took note that it was not genuine.
"You live with him?" Illyasviel deadpanned as she ate a piece of popcorn and sat down. "I almost feel bad for you."
"Almost?" Gilgamesh questioned. "Has my plight not reached your heart?"
"Haha, very funny," Illyasviel replied with an eye roll, "and I only almost because your adult self is also an asshole. Like seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if you had married women cheat with you in front of their husbands or bullied people just because it was fun."
Gilgamesh, instead of taking offense or laughing it off, merely raised an eyebrow. "Did you seriously pull that out from my legend?" he asked.
Illyasviel shrugged, indirectly admitting her action unabashed. "Yeah, and?" she smiled as Berserker plopped himself next to her, adding enormous weight to her words.
"Hey, no fair," the proud child-king of Uruk deadpanned, unnerved by the pressure Illyasviel placed upon him.
"I don't think you have the right to talk about fairness," Illyasviel remarked, her smile widening to sadistic lengths.
Gilgamesh wisely chose to shut up.
"Anyways," she began, her tone now on a cutesy sadistic side, "let's see some ads, shall we?"
The large screen turned on and what seemed to be security camera footage played. It displayed the outside of the mall, at one of the four big entrances.
Displayed, was three distinct figures:
A redhead, a purple head, and a twin-tailed girl.
Shirou sighed as he put a hand against the wall. His structural analysis magecraft coursing through the building, giving him a mental map of the mall.
"Wow, you can do that," Rin remarked, surprised at the ability displayed by him. "Though..."
Shirou panted as he rasped out some words, "There... Are some... Traps..."
"And you doubted me of her intentions," she huffed as she rolled up her sleeves. "So where are they roughly?" She took a step forward with a determined stare.
"Wait, Rin-!" Shirou began only to be rudely cut off with a sudden plume of smoke and ashes that covered them.
"What the fuck?!" Rin screeched, surprised at the sudden obscurity of her vision. There was also the assault upon her nose as a horrible stench entered her nostrils.
Shirou sniffed the air a bit before pinching his nose. "I think that's horse poop..." he revealed hesitantly as the smoke dissipated to reveal a Rin covered in shit.
"Ugh! That shitting brat!" Rin roared in utter fury.
"You look like shit!" Illyasviel laughed as Sella led Shirou's group into the movie theater. "Especially you, Rin!"
A gandr flew harmlessly over her head as Rin furiously glared at her. "You better watch your back after the war, twerp," the Tohsaka threatened, "cause next time it won't miss."
Illyasviel merely responded with a smile and the activation of her magic circuits. "Ho? You're welcome to try!" she grinned evilly.
A little away, Archer sat himself down on the theater seat with a bowl full of popcorn. "Scared that you will get hit?" he asked his companion.
Gilgamesh chuckled a bit as he slurped his drink. "Your master just reeks and I don't like the smell so horrendous," he replied. "Especially when eating."
"I guess," Archer half-heartedly agreed as he looked at the duo that discreetly made their way to a separate area of seating.
"Want to make a bet?" the golden-haired child asked as he leaned a bit in the slight interest of the duo. "When do you think they will do the deed?"
"Tonight," the white-haired servant replied as he tossed a piece of popcorn into his mouth. "90 quartz."
"Tomorrow, 90."
Chapter 9 End
One more chapter of this little peace before things happen.
And regarding my updates... I'm going to try to improve but have no expectations for now...
Anyhow, nice Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrated over December?
SaveTheWeak, out.
